What he wants to avoid Schumacher’s fate: he waited too long | F1 Magazine – F1online.sk

Unless a miracle happens, Kuan-yu Chou will be missing from the grid for a year. In a sense, he finds himself in a very similar position to Mick Schumacher after the 2022 season, but the Chinese racer is determined not to end up like his predecessor and wait until the end of the season. time for his opportunity. He wants to be much more active.

Audi decided to jump after the German driver. They signed a multi-year contract with Nico Hülkenberg and she is now looking for a colleague. Several names are mentioned, including Schumacher’s, but there is no mention of Kuan-yu Chou. He is likely to be a reserve and test rider at best.

He is certainly not distracted by what happened to Schumacher, who appears year after year in the field and the media reports how much he wants to return to the cockpit. according to Cuan-jü Čoua but he made a mistake. “I feel like he’s waiting too long. I think that during the time he was waiting, he could have had an opportunity somewhere else. said the Sauber driver, suggesting that Schumacher could have caught one of the teams at the tail end of the field. “At the moment, he still can’t get a seat for next year. If I were in his place, it would be a little more difficult.”

However, Chou does not rule out that we will see him in his role as a reserve driver next season. Since there is only one free spot left on the grid, he may have to accept it. He must remember that in Formula 1: Out of sight, out of mind.

“In Formula 1, you have to be very fast, efficient, and if an opportunity comes and you keep waiting, you can be the eternal third pilot. I don’t want this,” he nodded Kuan-yu Chou.

While many teams have signed at least two-year contracts to cover the entire transition to the new rules, the Shanghai native aims to return to the team in 2026. In the event of unsatisfactory performance and contracts leave, the same can be offered to him as well. seats, which now look out of reach.

“Right now, Formula 1 is my priority. If it doesn’t work out, we have to keep our eyes open. If I have to wait a year, I’m willing to do it,” ensuring a 25-year-old racer, who already has three years of experience in Formula 1. “However, if I have to wait more than a year or two, I may leave the competition. But right now I’m focusing on F1.”